March 31, 2003 Timberwolves Take On Vancouver By Austin Nairn The weekend of March 21-23 was a big step in the right direc- tion for UNBC’s men’s and woman’s soccer teams. Both teams are applying to play in the BCCAA in the fall of 2003 and the trip to Vancouver was an oppor- tunity for them to challenge some schools already in the league. Despite never having played an outdoor game together both squads competed with teams that have been together all season. On Friday night the men beat a U-18 Surrey Selects team 2-1 while the women lost 2-0 to Douglas College. Matt Larson played an outstanding game for UNBC and women’s goalie Carlie Mackay earned a shutout while playing in the Douglas net. On Saturday morning the men lost 1- 0 to Capilano College in a game that could have gone either way. Photo The men’s soccer team after losing to The University College of The Fraser Valley 4-3. The women’s game was not quite as close. However, they would have all afternoon to shop their sorrows away. On Sunday it was out to Chilliwack to take on the University College of The Fraser Valley. The women looked a little tired and lost again while the men lost 4-3 in a game of ugly goals. Weekend highlights included great performances by men’s goalie Jeff Rakochy (as usual) and some fine defensive play by ladies defensemen Erin Hillen. Both Rob Miller and John Sheppard would like to thank the ladies of Vancouver while I would like to send thanks out to Lia Thiesmann for the tickle fight on Saturday night. Located at 3632 Hart Hwy (one mile north of the Nechako Bridge) Call 962-5600 Large selection of unit sizes One site manager Open 7 days a week You store it, you lock it, you keep the key! On the Michael Landsberg: record Landsberg as exciting as celebrity guests By Steve Evenden, Brock Press ST. CATHARINES, ONT (CUP) Energy flows from of Michael Landsberg like cheap wine at a university house party. ; From the second he bounces into a room until the second he leaves, he’s in everyone’s face. He’s making conversation, crack- ing jokes, and drawing everyone to him. It’s so natural. Though the in-your-face quality almost comes across as arrogance, Landsberg is not worried. It’s just confidence, excitement, and a love for his job. Who could blame him? The man who hosts TSN’s Off The Record (OTR) is living out almost every young sports fan’s dream, including his own. His job consists almost entirely of talking sports and hanging out with some of the biggest names in the enter- tainment, sports and_ political world. Notable names such as Spike Lee, Ron Jeremy, The Rock, Vince McMahon, Gene Simmons, Pink, and Vince Carter have appeared as guests on the show, part of a list that also includes almost every famous wrestler, many playboy models, and many other impor- tant players in Canada and the United States. Growing up, it almost seemed like destiny that Landsberg would end up ina position like this. “have it in my blood,” he says. “I came up in a sports house. It was what I enjoyed more than anything ... one of the few things I was good at growing up was being a sports fan.” Landsberg’s passion for the game didn’t play out on the field, despite a desire to be out there embroiled in the action, but he always had the ability to talk. So his need to be more than “just a fan in the stands” led him natural- ly into broadcasting. After graduating from Ryerson University, Landsberg eventually made his way up to anchoring Sportsdesk (now Sportscentre) on The Sports Network (TSN), before getting promoted to OTR in 1997. He was a popular and reliable anchor for Sportsdesk for many years, but a desire to move on and “put his stamp on something” brought him to hosting TSN’s new concept show called Off The Record. The show blossomed into the current success it is, thanks in large part to Landsberg’s incredi- ble talent and producer Bob Mackowycz, who didn’t come from a sports background, but brought in a pop culture influ- ence. With Mackowycz’s influ- ence, the idea was bred that instead of discussing hard sports facts, the “moral, social, and polit- ical issues” of sports would be the main focus, which lead to the mass market appeal the show cur- rently enjoys. “Because of his vision ... the show became something differ- ent,” says Landsberg. “I think it’s his touch on the show that made (it) special.” That special touch, and an extremely charismatic Landsberg - who differs very little off-camera from on-camera - helps it haul in the approximately 128,000 mem- ber audience each day. Interestingly, the 18-34 demo- graphic of the audience is com- prised of almost equal numbers of males and females, which is an odd figure for a sports show. As mentioned, the guest list on the show reads like a who’s who of the entertainment scene, but Landsberg contests that even though they could likely book 100 guests a week without a problem, they still have to push some of the bigger names. The show’s atmos- phere is very aggressive, and many people could suffer some form of embarrassment as a result. “Probably once every two weeks we have a guest that’s a total disaster,” says Landsberg, stating that it’s his job as host to make sure they don’t suck. Inevitably, some people will retreat into a shell, though. “If you have a guest who’s pro- tective of his or her world, and you want to draw more guests from that world, you've got to be careful not to rough them up.” One tactic that has done him well in the past, is that he employs a no fear attitude in dealing with the show. So far, he says, no guest has ever intimidated him, and he’s not afraid to challenge people and get in their faces. However, he does recall one instance when Johnnie Cochran was on the show. “T said to him, ‘you know, I’ve got to be honest with you, we do five shows a week, we do a couple hundred shows a year. I’m not thrilled with every guest that comes in here, but I’m going to myself: You’re Johnnie Cochran, that’s really cool.’” That’s the Landsberg most peo- ple see. What most don’t see is the kind-hearted, caring man who was voted “Man of the Year” in the Hebrew community, and has donated more than $200,000 to the Toronto Sick Kid’s hospital from his annual golf tournament. He takes his charitibility in stride though. “Some people can cut a cheque for $5 million to build the wing of a hospital. I can’t do that. What I can do is go out to an event, maybe host an event, give a speech that generates some excite- ment, and maybe raise some more money. If I can do that, I should.” There’s such a_ pleasing demeanor about Landsberg that it’s almost impossible to believe he’s the host of a top-rated televi- sion show, and one of the most recognizable personalities in Canada. He takes pride in the fact that he treats everyone the same way, regardless of their position. Whether it’s Richard Peddie, President and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, a guest on the show last week, or lowly Steve Evenden, sports editor of The Brock Press at Brock University. “I have time for everyone,” he boasts.